Device and method for communicating data in a process control system

• US 6,842,660 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2002
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rukstales, David, Tripathi, Ashok R., Ramalingam, Muthukumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US10/162,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20030083754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/51, 700/95, 700/117, 700/121
• US Class Current: 700/121
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25204 Translate between different communication protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31181 Controller and device have several formats and protocols, select common one

Abstract

A method for communicating process data between a plurality of devices in a process control system, including receiving process data in an equipment interface system data format from an equipment interface system, and selecting a set of the process data received from the equipment interface system for communication to a process data control system. The method also includes configuring the selected set of process data from the equipment interface system data format into an open format for communication to the process data control system, and transmitting the configured process data to the process data control system.

Claims

1. A method for communicating process data between a plurality of devices in a process control system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving process data in an equipment interface system data format from an equipment interface system;

allowing a user to select a set of the process data for communication to a process data control system;

mapping the selected set of process data to predefined variables for storing in a configuration database;

configuring the selected set of process data from the equipment interface system data format into an open format for communication to the process data control system without configuring the process data that was not selected; and

transmitting the configured process data to the process data control system.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

receiving control data in the open format from the process data control system for providing feedback to the equipment interface system;

configuring the control data from the open format into the equipment interface system data format; and

transmitting the configured control data to the equipment interface system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein in the step of receiving the control data, the control data is fault data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein in the step of receiving the control data, the control data is process adjustment data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a set of process data further includes defining a plurality of sets of process data for the equipment interface system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of configuring, the data into the open format, the open format is eXtensible Markup Language.

7. The method of claim 1, further including the step of determining statistics based upon the process data received from the equipment interface system.

8. A communication builder device for communicating process data between a plurality of devices in a process control system, comprising:

a communication manager adapted to format process data received from an equipment interface system into a format suitable for the communication builder;

a data explorer for allowing a user to select a predefined set of the communication builder data format process data and to map the selected data to predefined variables for storing in a configuration database, wherein the data explorer operates to report the selected data to a process data control system;

wherein the communication manager is further adapted to configure the selected set of process data into an open data format for communication to the process data control system without configuring the process data that was not selected, and is adapted to transmit the configured process data to the process data control system; and

a data administrator for providing monitoring and management of the communication manager.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the communication manager is further adapted to receive control data in the open format from the process data control system for providing feedback to the equipment interface system;

wherein the communication builder system further comprises a run control manager for configuring the control data from the open format into the equipment interface system data format; and

wherein

the communication manager is further adapted to transmit the configured control data to the equipment interface system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the control data is fault data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the control data is process adjustment data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the data explorer is further adapted to define a plurality of sets of process data for the equipment interface system.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the open data format is eXtensible Markup Language.

14. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code means embodied therein for causing a computer to communicate process data between a plurality of devices in a process control system, the computer readable code means in the computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive process data in an equipment interface system data format from an equipment interface system;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to allow a user to select a set of the process data for communication to a process data Control system;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to map the selected set of process data to predefined variables for storing in a configuration database;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to configure the selected set of process data from the equipment interface system data format into an open format communication to the process data control system without configuring the process data that was not selected; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to transmit the configured data to the process data control system.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further including:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive control data in the open format from the process data control system for providing feedback to the equipment interface system;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to configure the control data from the open format into the equipment interface system data format; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to transmit the configured control data to the equipment interface system.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the control data is fault data.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the control data is process adjustment data.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, further including computer readable program code means for causing a computer to define a plurality of sets of process data for receiving from the equipment interface system.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the open data format is eXtensible Markup Language.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, further including computer readable program code means for determining statistics based upon the process data received from the equipment interface system.

21. A semiconductor fabrication and manufacturing process control system comprising:

a process data control device adapted to provide process monitoring and process analysis of process data received from at least one manufacturing tool, and adapted to provide control instructions to the at least one manufacturing tool;

an equipment interface device adapted to receive data from and provide control to the at least one associated manufacturing tool based on control instructions received from the process data control device; and

a communication builder device adapted to interface between and facilitate a communication at information and data between the process control device and the equipment interface device, the communication builder device being adapted to;

receive process data in an equipment interface system data format from the equipment interface system,

allow a user to select a set of the process data received from the equipment interface system for communication to the process data control system,

map the selected set of process data to predefined variables for storing in a configuration database;

configure the selected set of process data from the equipment interface system data format into an open format for communication to the process data control system without configuring the process data that was not selected, and

transmit the configured process data to the process data control system.